When to get a Christmas tree?

[goji1]

I have heard that getting one early and keeping outside in a bucket of water for a while is better that buying later in the hope it will be fresher. and therefore last longer... Any advice?

How early would you consider to be early?

Err, beginning of December? Was thinking of putting it up the weekend of 6th.

That's a long time before Christmas. I would buy it the same weekend you're planning on decorating it if you're going to buy it that early.

Thanks. The question is though are the ones bought closer to the date really fresher? I have a feeling they are all cut some time in November and then sold throughout December

I think it depends on the tree seller, but I rather suspect that a lot of the big garden centres/DIY places do cut them down in November and then have them stacked up for weeks.
I'm rather tempted to buy mine early Dec this year, cut the bottom off and then stick it in a bucket in the garden for a couple of weeks.
I read somewhere if you put lemonade (not diet) in with the water then the trees really like that.

I would phone around a couple of independant sellers and ask them.

I buy mine a couple of weeks before I intend to put it up (try to eek it out to the week before Christmas) , saw a couple of inches from the bottom of the trunk and stand it in a bucket of water outside.
It normally absorbs about a full bucket full in that week.
The trick is then to keep your tree watered during the time it's inside and not stand it near heat; a fire or radiator.
This theory adopted, mine usually do well.
I am led to believe the majority of trees are cut at around the end of November.

Thanks a lot for all your advice, I will try buying early december and keep outside in water

Every year, when we go to buy ours, the seller advises us to keep it outside for a week before putting it up (no mention of buckets of water). But it's already been outside for weeks, at the tree shop/cutting down place? Why does it need a further week on my patio?

Flatcap are you sure the tree absorbs the water, and rhat at least some of water doesn't evaporate?